The boys and I had some nice runs and had a lot of fun. No Qs for us, but I was very proud of different aspects of each run. I keep learning what Rumor and I have "in our toolbox" and where there have holes in our training. We have had fewer and fewer "baby dog" moments, which I'm happy about and he's really coming along. I feel it... we will "click" soon!
The only unfortunate part of the weekend was that I witnessed some extremely poor sportsmanship. I have a hard time believing that agility can be fun if it is only about getting a Q and not about playing with your dog(s). It is heartbreaking to see handlers getting mad at their dogs for making a mistake (especially when it's the handler's fault) and telling the dogs how bad they are. It is even worse (and extremely disrespectful) to hear handlers complaining and swearing over and over about runs and about equipment. Sportsmanship isn't only while you are in the ring, it is all the time. If I didn't have fun running my dogs in agility all of the time, I have plenty of other things I could do to occupy my weekends. I was so shocked with the poor sportsmanship that I saw, it just made me think... and lose respect for the individual...
1 comment:
Well said, Whitney, sad but true. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be getting any better either. If you can't have fun and appreciate your dog each run, you should really find a new hobby. For your own health and happiness, and that of your dog.
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